Chris Davenport

Achievements/ movies / comp results / other proud moments

- I have so many proud moments in skiing, but the standouts are: 2X
World Freeskiing Champion, First person to climb and ski all 54 Colorado
14,000-foot peaks in less than one year, and an ascent of Mt. Everest
with a ski descent of the Lhotse Face. Oh and I’m proud of my ESPN
X-Games bronze medal as well.

Favorite areas or descents

- I love Alaska, especially the Alaska Range, where Denali is. Ski
mountaineering up there is incredible. I also love the Antarctic
Peninsula, where I have skied three times. And some of my favorite
descents have been the Grand Teton, Mt. Rainier in a day, Denali by 3
new routes, the East Face of the Matterhorn, the Marinelli Couloir on
the Monte Rosa, the Lhotse Face on Everest, and the West Face of the
Eiger.

Describe your skiing background

- I grew up as a ski racer, so that’s where my technical abilities
came from. But I retired from racing at University to focus on
freeskiing.

What was your big breakthrough or defining moment in skiing?

- My big breakthrough was definitely winning the 1996 World Extreme
Skiing Championships in Valdez, Alaska. There were so many great skiers
there, and it was my first time in the huge mountains of Alaska, so that
was pretty special.

Describe a skiing experience when things got out of hand:

- I try to never let things get out of hand, and have been lucky to avoid that happening.

What are you up to when you’re not skiing?

- I spend a lot of time playing with my three boys, ages 11, 9, and
4. We have so much fun running around the mountains together. I also
ride my bikes every day in the summer and fall.

Any training advice or suggestions?

- I spend a lot of the summer and fall focused on aerobic sports like
cycling and mountain running, but every fall I get into the gym for 6
weeks of intense, ski-specific workouts focusing on my core strength,
plyometrics for the legs, and raw body power. I try and do 100
push-ups, 100 pull-ups, and 200 sit-ups every day before ski season.

Who or what inspires you?

- I’m inspired by those who choose to live their lives without
boundaries, and continually push themselves to do new things, firsts, or
progressive climbs and descents.

How do you see skiing evolving in the next five years?

- I think we will see many more skiers spending time in the
backcountry and mountaineering than we ever have before. The gear and
educational opportunities are so good now that people can learn more
about safety and progress to doing harder but more fun things away from
the ski resorts.

Do you have any vices that you would like to share?

- Swedish Snus.

What are your future plans or goals in skiing?

- I want to continue to explore new mountain ranges in the world, and
climb and ski big peaks! I am really goal oriented so the more I can
come up with interesting trips, especially ones that have never been
done, the better. I am doing much more guiding these days as well,
taking private clients to all corners of the globe to live out their
skiing dreams. Doing that is really satisfying, and helps pay the
bills!

Chris Davenport's favorite kask setup.

About us

Kask is a Swedish brand with high quality products for the active living. It started out with hand crochet beanies in 2002. Now Kask is doing Beanies, Merino baselayers, Goggles and Ski socks. We believe in the motto Live a little!